LG solar panels are discontinued. Now what?
They made the very popular NeON line of solar panels, but now LG has exited the solar panel business. Here's a guide on what to do if you have LG panels on your home, or you're thinking of still getting them.
Earlier this year, LG abruptly announced that it was closing its solar panel business, surprising many in the industry.
The news was confirmed in a press release on February 23. According to the company, its solar panel manufacturing was no longer viable due to increasing costs:
LG leadership decided to exit the global solar panel business following a comprehensive review of the impact of increasing material and logistics costs, as well as severe supply chain constraints affecting the solar industry.
Unfortunately, LG was one of a handful of manufacturers making solar panels in the United States, with a factory in Huntsville, Alabama that had a manufacturing capacity of 550 MW. That factory closed in the second quarter of this year, impacting 160 full time and 60 contract workers.
LG NeON panels
LG’s latest solar panels were the NeON 2 product line, which included all-black, bifacial, and AC solar panels. They hit a maximum of 21.2% efficiency, making them still one of the highest efficiency panels on the market and making them a competitor to other market leaders such as REC, SunPower, QCells.
What to do if you need warranty service for your LG solar panels
One of the benefits of LG solar panels was a 25 year product warranty that included labor - one of just a few of companies to do so.
Even though LG has exited the solar business, the company says they will continue to support the 25 year product warranty. If you have an issue with your LG solar panels, the company recommends that you contact your solar installer for warranty service. You can also try LG customer service at 1-833-388-2121.
The company says that it will keep some replacement panels in stock for warranty support. This means that until the inventory runs out, LG will be able to replace any failing panels covered by warranty. LG also says they’ll issue a pro-rated refund if replacement panels aren’t available.
Should you still consider buying LG panels?
LG only recently shut down its manufacturing business, which means that you might have a solar installer who is still able to quote you on LG panels. If they do, should you consider installing solar panels on your home?
I think it would be fine. Even though they’ve exited the market, LG is a huge company, so there’s little danger of them disappearing and being unavailable to provide warranty support.
The latest LG panels are still competitive in terms of efficiency, with the best models hitting 21%. It’s also quite likely that you might be able to get them at a bargain price. Given that solar panels have a really low failure rate, the chances are that you won’t ever need to make a warranty claim.
That said, if you have a quote for different panels for the same price, I would probably choose the non-LG panel. But if you’re able to find the latest LG NeON 2 series at a bargain price? I say go for it.
Alternatives to LG solar panels
LG NeON series was considered a premium product because they were near the top of the market for efficiency and came with a 25 year product warranty that included labor.
If you’re looking for an alternative to LG, the closest manufacturers would be REC and SunPower. Both companies offer 25 year warranties that include labor, and both have solar panels with very high efficiency.
In fact, SunPower currently is the market leader for panel efficiency. The SunPower M-Series panels reach 22.8% efficiency and include panels with 440 watt output. They also have an excellent temperature coefficient of −0.29%/°C.
REC panels aren’t far behind. The REC Alpha Pure series reaches 22.2% and have a temperature coefficient of -0.26%/°C, which is even better than SunPower.
